A Fear Overcome
by Kristen3
Summary: A dentist's appointment recalls childhood fears for Daphne. But Niles' offer to help leads to something she never expected.
1. Chapter 1

Daphne stared at the appointment card, feeling her nerves tense. It was just a dentist appointment, nothing life-threatening. But still, Daphne felt a sense of fear. She didn't need a shrink to explain why. It was because of what she'd been through as a child. Back in Manchester, her family hadn't been able to afford decent doctors. The family dentist was a friend of her father's, probably with nearly as bad an alcohol problem. The man didn't believe in giving patients Novocain. Even as a little girl, Daphne remembered her teeth being drilled, and how she felt every bit of it. The pain had been terrible, and she'd never gotten over it. Since she came to America, she'd never experienced anything similar, but the idea of having a filling done brought all those memories back.

"Hello, Daphne." Her boss' voice made Daphne jump.

"Oh, Dr. Crane! I'll get your breakfast started right away." She started to walk toward the kitchen.

Frasier smiled. "It's three o'clock in the afternoon. I'm on my way to the station. Maybe you need to lie down or something."

Daphne smiled at his concern. "Yes, perhaps I will. I've just got...a lot on me mind."

"Oh, well, if you need to talk _I'm listening_!" He grinned. "Well, I'm off. Make sure you get some rest, all right, Daphne?"

Still a bit shocked that her boss was telling her to relax, Daphne merely nodded. Frasier left, and Daphne once again thought about her childhood experiences at the dentist. Even now, it gave her chills as she recalled the sight of the drill coming closer and closer. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. She went to open it.

There stood the younger Dr. Crane. Daphne tried to smile at him, but she knew he would know something wasn't right.

Niles heard her "Hello, Dr. Crane," and knew immediately that it wasn't her usual greeting. "What's the matter?" He reached for her hand, grateful when she did not pull away.

Daphne sighed, glad that she had a chance to tell someone. "I've an appointment at the dentist tomorrow. I need to have a filling done, and I'm just a bit nervous."

"Well, I know no one likes going to the dentist, but I'm sure you'll be just fine." Niles offered her a smile, hoping she would be encouraged.

"I know I shouldn't be so worried, but when I was a little girl, in Manchester, me family couldn't exactly afford the greatest dentist. It was bloody awful. I've had me teeth drilled, without Novocain. I've never been so frightened in me life. And of course, me brothers were no help. They were such 'tough guys,' they didn't even understand why I was so scared!"

"Oh, Daphne," Niles replied. He pulled her into a hug immediately, rubbing her back. "That must have been awful. I know from experience that these childhood traumas can really stick with a person. My germ-phobia may very well stem from a babysitter that Frasier and I had, who told me about 'earwigs,' which would crawl into my ears at night."

"That's terrible!" Daphne exclaimed. "I know I need to have this cavity fixed, but I'd just as soon cancel the appointment and forget all about it. It's going to give me nightmares!"

Niles looked into her eyes, wanting so much to help her. "Well, maybe it would be easier if you had a friend with you. Sometimes, just knowing that you're not alone can help a great deal. Having Frasier in my room helped get me to sleep many nights."

"Oh, that's a good idea, but I don't think any of me girlfriends would want to do that."

"No, Daphne, I wasn't talking about them. I meant me. I can easily rearrange my appointments for tomorrow if you'd like."

Daphne blushed. "I couldn't ask you to do a thing like that! Your job's very important. Whereas mine...not so much." She smiled, slightly embarrassed.

"On the contrary, Daphne. What you do here is very important. You help look after Dad, and you do most of Frasier's housework. You work very hard, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

The blush on Daphne's cheeks only deepened after his comment. "Well, thank you. That's awfully nice to hear. Are you sure you don't mind coming to the dentist with me?"

Niles nodded. "Of course I don't mind. Just tell me when your appointment is, and I'll tell Mrs. Woodson to juggle things around a bit. It won't be any trouble." He sniffled, praying it would stop the nosebleed he knew would follow a statement like that.

Daphne reluctantly accepted Niles' offer. She'd never expected him to want to do something like this. It was one thing to offer a compliment, even one that wasn't deserved. But it was something else entirely to go out of his way to support her for something as simple as a dentist appointment.

The next day, Niles arrived at his brother's promptly. Though he knew it was probably very stressful for her, he couldn't help feeling somewhat excited. Any chance to spend time with Daphne was welcome. The details simply didn't matter. Frasier raised an eyebrow when Niles appeared at the door, but he never had a chance to voice an objection. As he watched the two leave, he could only hope his brother wouldn't make a fool out of himself.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, this doesn't look so bad," Niles said, glancing around the reception area of Daphne's dentist. It was not that different from Niles' own office, except that there were posters on the wall reminding patients of the importance of brushing twice a day.

Daphne tried to smile. "Out here, it's nice. It's just in there that it gets scary." She pointed to the doorway, which she knew led to the examining rooms.

"Don't be afraid. I'm right here," Niles told her, once again taking her hand.

His kind words calmed Daphne immediately. "Well, I'll go tell the receptionist I'm here." Niles nodded at her and took a seat. A moment later, Daphne seated herself beside him. "They said the doctor will be ready in just a few minutes." Now her nerves increased more than ever. She tried to read a magazine, but found that she couldn't concentrate enough to make out a single word.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. The dentist came out, followed by a little girl. "Well, you sure were brave," the doctor said. "You can pick out a toy before you go. Only the good patients get those." He winked at her, and the little girl happily claimed her new toy.

Daphne overheard the exchange and turned to Niles. "A bloody little girl can handle this, and I'm sitting here making meself a basket case!"

Niles squeezed her hand. "Being afraid is nothing to be ashamed of. Fear helps keep us safe. It's what stops us from touching a hot stove, or running out into traffic. It's just a matter of overcoming your fear."

Before Daphne could reply, she heard her name being called. "Well, I guess that's it. Wish me luck." She gave him a weak smile before following an assistant off to the exam room.

Daphne sat in the dentist's chair, feeling her heart pound. She'd been here before, of course. But an exam was quite different from what she was about to experience. After exchanging pleasantries, the dentist began his work. First, he numbed Daphne's gums with medicine delivered by Q-tip. When she was sufficiently numb, she was then given a needle. There was a certain amount of discomfort from that, but nothing close to what she remembered as a child. From then on, Daphne knew she would be fine. The relief she felt was overwhelming.

Once she realized she the whole thing wouldn't be as bad as she thought, it was over rather quickly. She made her way back out to the waiting area.

Niles kept himself busy by reading magazines. There was nothing remotely interesting in them, but it was something to keep his mind off Daphne. Not that it worked, of course. His angel sat just a few feet away, probably scared to death. But, the next thing Niles knew, he heard his name being called. He looked up, and saw a smile which could brighten up the cloudiest Seattle skyline. "Daphne," he whispered, standing.

"It wasn't nearly as bad as I expected," Daphne replied, beaming. "I can't thank you enough for coming down here. I know you must think it's silly, but I insist on repaying you somehow."

"Daphne, that's not necessary," Niles said immediately.

"Nonsense. You've done me a favor, so the least you can do is let me do something for you. I know I can't afford much, but I'd be happy to buy you a drink at the cafe, or perhaps see if I can persuade your brother to part with those opera tickets I know you've been wanting..."

Not knowing what else to do, Niles merely put a finger to her lips. He was amazed at how soft and warm they were. "Sh. If you want to do something for me, then let me buy you dinner. Please."

Daphne couldn't believe her ears. "What?"

"What I want most is the opportunity to take you out to dinner. I've always known how special you are, but I don't think you realize it. I think maybe it's time you did. I know it's a chance, but I hope you'll take it."

It took several moments for his words to sink in. Daphne couldn't believe that Dr. Crane was actually asking her on a date. A real date! Or so it seemed. For a second, she thought about telling him it was crazy. Things like this just didn't happen. But as she looked at him more, she realized he was actually very serious about it. It still seemed like a crazy thing to do, but something told her to go for it. "Well, all right. If that's really what you want."

"It is. It's everything I want and more. Thank you, Daphne. This will be a night you won't forget. I promise you that." He brought her hand to his lips, kissing it.

The gesture shocked her. No man had ever done that before. It scared her a bit, but she still felt somehow safe. Suddenly, she thought of how she'd felt in the dentist's chair. It hadn't been half as painful as she'd thought. So, maybe, she could let go of this fear, too. There was far more at risk here than just a bit of pain, she realized. But, if things worked out, it would be well worth it.

**The End**


End file.
